Results In connection with a study on the Arbuzov-Michaelis reaction, the reaction of dimethyl phenylphosphonite (I) with/3-bromoethyl acetate was investigated. Although methyl phenyl-@-acetoxyethy1)-phosphinate (11) was the expected product, it was formed in not greater than 570 yield. A n isomer,/3-acetoxyethyl phenyl-(methyl)-phosphinate (IV) was obtained in 60% yield instead. The structure of the unexpected ester was established by ...